Tactical squad update

Having just teased you with close-up shots of the tactical squads eyes I thought it would be appropriate to showcase my progress so far. For some reason I chose a new backdrop as these were photographed outside. Aside from the glossiness it puts these Space Marines truly in space, even if it is the packaging from an X-factor playset [but we won't tell anyone that...] 

There's not a huge amount to say really. The Orkhide shade has been put on and washed with Badab Black and Dark Angels Green 'dry-buffed' in place. Tin Bitz for all the metallics [washed with Badab Black] and Mechrite Red for the seals and terminator emblems.

My intention was to do a bit of the battered metal effect from my drop pod on all the metal elements but we'll see as I'm digging the darkness of the Tin Bitz.

I'm not sur ejust how much more highlighting I want to do. Part of me thinks if I do some line highlights they'll end up being 'Tron-esque' or a bit Dark Eldar. However I think once I've done all the detail bits, purity seals, metals etc. perhaps another Badab Black wash and a thin DA Green or DA Green and lighter green mix highlight might end up with the effect I'm after. As you can see still got plenty of highlights to go on all those details, particularly the Ferron Proxima Crux Terminatus.

Lastly the Space Marine Captain. Lots to do on this guy and he's going to be very different with the huge cloak. not sure if Deathwink colours will work on him as it wouldn't be very dark. Much the same as the robes on my Ravenwing, so many decisions and every one preventing me from moving forward. that's what happens when you don't have a plan, procrastination and delay. Must try harder.

ebay sales YOU won't regret! Yet more daemons! Maybe not safe for work... eek!

My mate Liam, he of the scratch built Warhound and Warlord fame, is still having a clear out of old figures on ebay NOW! He sent me pictures of this baby and I thought I better put them online before this thing sells...

So if you like Slaanesh and are kinky that way, well you would be if you like Slaanesh, then bid away

There's a couple of other things up for grabs, ha, ha I mean on his ebay auction not the couple of things below so check out all of his auctions.

The second most important rule of painting [perhaps] - The eyes have it!

Well I think it's as good a rule as any - get the eyes painted as soon as possible. Bearing in mind you don't want to be doing things like drybrushing after you've done the eyes, there's nothing like getting it just so only to smear paint onto the focal point of your miniature. As it stands I continue to plug away at my Tactical Squad and I finally took the plunge and thought I could do the eyes because any efforts on the Dark Angels green is purely highlighting. That isn't going to be achieved without careful effort and that control shouldn't result in any mishaps round the eyes, so I was pretty safe to continue.

I'm going old-skool Epic Space Marine with the lenses. Sure the red lense stands out and is awesome but that box is my original inspiration that I want to hark back to and I think it sets them apart from the rest of the Dark Angel crowd. Obviously it enters into Salamander territory, even more so when you take into account I will be painting all my bare-headed Marines with the white hair off the Epic box cover but the dark Native American Indian Deathwing skin tones of  my 3rd Generation Dark Angel I better get that green just right!

So there was obviously some yellow involved, Some Gryphonne Sepia Wash a few times and some Badab Black and Chaos Black to sharpen the outlines. Finally a dot of pure white in the corners, just like th ehow to paint Space Marine guides tell you to do. The end result may actually look better than those close-ups suggest. Certainly for my table top standards, you'll see in the next post anyway as you can see each of the figures painted thus far. To end with, the inpiration that started it all!

ebay sales YOU won't regret! Daemons, daemons, daemons!

My mate Liam, he of the scratch built Warhound and Warlord fame, is having another clear out of old figures on ebay NOW! Starting price 99p on everything. These things are really cool and well painted. I thin khe's looking to build a new Dark Eldar force so you'd be really helping him if you bought some of his chaos figures to feed his addiction. Remember the rumours say Chaos is going to feature BIG in the next 40k so why not get some cool gear early.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemon-Prince-lot-121-/250894453864?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798c68

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-3-x-Fiend-Slaanesh-lot-129-/250894454610?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798f52

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-9-x-Flesh-Hounds-lot-130-/250894455157?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a799175

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Bloodletters-lot-131-/250894454180?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798da4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Bloodletters-lot-132-/250894454283?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798e0b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Daemonettes-lot-133-/250894454403?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798e83

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-3-x-Flamer-Tzeentch-lot-134-/250894454732?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798fcc

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-Skulltaker-conversion-lot-135-/250894455386?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a79925a

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-Masque-Slaanesh-lot-136-/250894455534?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a7992ee

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-5-x-Pink-Horrors-lot-137-/250894454996?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a7990d4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-10-x-Daemonettes-lot-138-/250894454487?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798ed7

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemons-5-x-Juggernaut-conv-OOP-lot139-/250894454875?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a79905b

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WH-40k-Chaos-Daemon-Prince-lot-140-/250894454028?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3a6a798d0c

Forgive the sales pitch but the figures are ally cool and even if you don't want to bid they're definitely worth looking at... I've a shot of his Dark Eldar Razorwing to add later on so you can see what he's working on for his upcoming Throne of Skulls competition but I think there's enough here to sate anyone's appetite, even the blood G.O.D.

To done...?

OK, so I just Purity Sealed 90% of my son's 'nids, which was on my To Do List. It's nearly enough to be ticked off in my book. The only things not varnished were the Gargoyles, the new Tyranid Prime, the Hive Tyrant and the Mycetic Spore. The can is nearly empty and as it's been sat for nearly a year I thought it was long overdue, but I was a bit concerned about 'frosting' which is why I'd left it. I can't say I got away with it. Some of the Mechrite Red on the bases got a bit 'chilly' but most of the other bits are on the Bonewhite so it doesn't show up so much

So a big tick for me... except now that they're protected I need to do the very last bit, gloss varnish all the claws and talons. So after giving myself a tick for completing a job I'm now going to add in a new one, typical! More ebay stuff coming up tomorrow!

Dark Angel odds and sods update

While I'm doing the AoBR tactical squad I'm also painting a couple of other figures. I'm deluding myself into thinking these are test pieces but as I'm doing them at the same time as a squad of 10 how am I supposed to implement what I learn from these on the on the full squad? We've got an original lead [pb] Rogue Trader Marine with his overly square bolter, tiny legs, cloven toed boots, Mad Max hair and an eye-patch. I used Milliput to creat a respirator mask [back in the day], it's not great but it's better than the sculpt on the face that was there. Sadly because of his tiny legs he looks a bit puny now despite something menacing about him, he looks 'bad-ass' but next to the AoBR figures he ends up a bit wimpy.

Advanced Space Crusade Scout. You know I've got loads of these, I don't think I'm ever going to have more than one squad and I've got a set of five that I've taken the Mohican off. Although it fits the Deathwing Native American motif I think it's a bit rubbish. Saying that having one to mix in may add a bit of spice to the otherwise dull pose of the Advanced Space Crusade Scout. Of course the lollipop stick bolt pistol cowling had to be done. It's now a bigger muzzle than your standard Marine issue bolter!

And here's one of the White Dwarf freebies, a flamer marine to go with the Missile Launcher Marine I also got free. Nothing much to say on this guy but as flamers have such a devestating effect on Termagants I'm happy I have him even if there's still no real pay-off during battle with this weapon yet. One day he may very well come into his own...

Dawn of War - Soulstorm

You may recall my recent obsession with Dawn of War. Dark Crusade has been filling my evenings and been both pleasurable and more recently a pain. What can I say I think the only race I enjoy fighting are Necrons because they move so slow you've plenty of time to build your force to bring the might of the Imperium down on them.

Anyway I've been keeping an eye out Dawn of War - Soulstorm and there have been a number of half decent offers but the other weekend I had to nip into my local town to drop off some bits at the charity shop. There's loads of charity shops where I live, they get special business rates, so I believe, so there are around a dozen but mostly I drop my stuff of at Barnardo's. Not sure why I choose that one, but I have a Gift Aid card filled out so it's better to know they're getting a few extra quid than going to another charity shop where I have to fill in the forms again. Whilst I was there I noticed a copy of Artemis Fowl that I thought to pick up for my son but when I turned back some bozo was hogging the book section so I decided to just get on with my shopping.

I nipped to a local hardware store to pick up a 1mm drill bit to drill out some bolter barrels. I'd got a 2mm one recently because I like the idea bolter shells are massive but one of my AoBR bolter barrels had split so I decided to invest in a smaller bit. What surprised me is that you don't really need a pin vice to do this sort of work in plastic. In fact I'd say it would be far clumsier to do so with one.

Next stop was to the local art shop. I wanted to pick up some finer brushes for line highlights but on the way I passed Age UK a charity shop I'd be hard pressed to ever say I've entered but as I'd been blocked by one guy already I thought I'd just have a look what they had to offer. So it was that me and the littlest nipper perused the shelves and typically there was also a collection of Playstation 2 and PC games and what's this Warhammer 40,000 game? Well it couldn't possibly be Soulstorm the sole remaining title I need to complete the set... surprise, surprise indeed it is! And what extortionate price might it be? £2.50 you say, well it is for charity. So I did my bit for the old folks maybe they get a blanket, or Horlicks or some't and I've got my game.

Short story long, but on a side note I also dropped the Tyranid Prime and his head snapped off! Hopefully my patch job should save him but I may end up having to pin it with a heat weld, time will tell.